


About 3x13: Pinned

by LouiseLouise



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mention of Death, Mention of Josh Russo, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouiseLouise/pseuds/LouiseLouise
Summary: My thoughts about episode 3x13 "Pinned" aka I love Bobby and Michael's friendship and Chimney has the cutest smile.Originally postedon tumblr, beta and amazing gifs bynilshki. Header by me. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Relationships: Athena Grant & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Bobby Nash & Grant Family, Bobby Nash & Michael Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	About 3x13: Pinned

Okay I have to admit, my first impression after watching this episode was not very good. It felt like a filler episode, slow and empty, especially compared to the previous 2 episodes that were so packed with emotions.

That being said, there are a lot of things I liked in it.

So first let’s get what I didn’t like out of the way, aka **the start of Chimney’s storyline**. We left him happy with Maddie, feeling like he’s a lucky guy and suddenly one talk with Albert and he’s doubting. Don’t get me wrong, having doubts seems realistic and it’s healthy to question his and Maddie’s happiness and love but. The whole “you never go out, you’re with the same woman every night, there’s no passion”... and worse, “you guys even have sex?” That’s the line that make me disconnect from the story.

I was perfectly fine not wondering if Chim and Maddie have sex. I don’t think it needs to be a key component in a relationship and it was nice to not have that aspect of theirs questioned. We know that Bobby and Athena, Eddie and Shannon, Buck, all are sexual beings. They show different aspects of relationships with sex and it’s nice, especially Bobby and Athena being the oldest ones, I think it matters to see that one’s sex life doesn’t end at 40.

So it would’ve been cool to show a relationship where sex is not the key to being an actual couple. And it would’ve been even cooler if Chim didn’t feel like he had to justify, to his brother and the audience, that he is, of course, having sex with Maddie. 

The real question was “does Maddie love you?” and it would’ve been the same without including sex in the equation.

That being said. Not everything was bad about Chim and Maddie’s story though, au contraire!

“ **Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone.** ” Eddie’s advice to tell how you feel before it’s too late was sweet and kind and not judgmental, drawn from his own experience with Shannon (and maybe past things too that we don’t know about yet). I liked that interaction, it’s also nice to see Chim talk with Eddie, instead of Hen or Maddie. I don’t think it happens that much.

I loved to see **Maddie and Chim diving into action** to help the woman at the restaurant, being the badass “ _Former nurse / Current paramedic_ ” we know they are, finally seeing each other do so. But what I liked best, as usual, was how they were able to **communicate honestly about their feelings**. How Maddie was open about not being able to say _I love you_ and how Chim just accepts who she is and loves her with all his heart. That man has the best smiling face of all of them, I swear it looks so genuine, so pure…

And yes Chim is still very afraid to not make the most of his life, to let “the world pass us by”, the way he was in Season 2 after meeting Tatiana again, when he confided in Bobby, afraid that nothing changed in his life after almost dying. I think it makes the writing consistent. He hasn’t suddenly changed, because no matter how much people want to change, it’s not easy, it takes time. But he also says “fiery might be overrated” and he’s happy just knowing that Maddie loves him, so he is actually changing. Slowly, in subtle ways, but surely. 

All our boys show insecurity in different ways, I’m persistently amazed by how this show deconstructs toxic masculinity, by simply giving us those complex layered character who are allowed to be afraid, to doubt, to yell, to be soft, to be tough, to cry...

Speaking of which. **The camping trip!** I loved Michael/Bobby/Harry story. I watched the episode three times and three times I cried when Michael says he was taking a step back so they could learn how to be a family when he’s gone. I don’t know if we’re supposed to feel that it mirrors how Bobby had to learn how to live without his own family, but it made me think of that. And cry more.

I love **Michael and Bobby’s friendship**. How they can argue, even raise their voice, but always find a way to communicate and sort things out by being honest with each other. They apologize, recognize their mistakes. They had a rough start, back in Season 2. Michael was scared that Bobby would take his place in the heart of his kids, but instead of writing them as rivals, the show had them talk it out, lay out their fears and acknowledge they weren’t a threat to one another. They were allowed to be vulnerable and it made them stronger, individually and together. Then they built this amazing relationship along with an amazing found family. 

Now we’re back to Michael facing his fear again, that Bobby might take his place in the family, but under very different circumstances. He’s still afraid of losing them, obviously, but this time he doesn’t wanna fight it, he wants to prepare for it. Prepare himself and prepare them, to live without him.

It’s amazing how we went from Michael thinking Bobby was ‘ _using_ ’ May and Harry to replace his own kids, to Michael asking Bobby to consider them his own. And by amazing I mean sad and tragic. But still a beautiful parallel. 

I have to admit, Michael’s fear of not being remembered after his death hits close to home. And I love how it’s not shown as a shameful weakness, but as simply human. Or maybe that’s just my interpretation of the scene, I’m probably biased on this one.

Okay less crying now. I like **Hen and Michael’s friendship** , it shows in subtle ways how Hen and Athena’s friendship extended to their whole family over the years, the same way we saw Michael with Hen and Karen in the park when they were afraid of losing Denny to Eva. I wished we’d saw more of Nia though, I really wanted to see her first days with the Wilson family, but maybe we’ll get that in future episodes.

The scene with **Athena and May** was sweet and so important. Showing that there are still good things happening even when life gets rough and death is a possibility. Showing that those things, small or not, deserve to be celebrated, it’s powerful.

Okay, that scene with **Hen and Athena**? Powerful too. It speaks to me on a personal level, the “scared to lose a parent” fear, the constantly looming. And Hen’s right about having to embrace the not knowing. I loved that both views are valid and I think the key might be finding balance between preparing for the worst and enjoying every day. I believe that Hen saying that kids are resilient comes from her own childhood, as we know her dad left when she was little and she had to deal with his death later on, and she survived both events.

I just really hope it’s not foreshadowing something bad happening to Athena, that having us worried about Bobby’s health after the tunnel accident, and now scared about Michael is not a distraction to prepare for something else.

Anyway, let’s just revel in how the Grant Nash family is really all about communication because that gives me life.

The only downside to this storyline to me is, because it was slowly dragged over the entire episode, with long scenes that only had conversation and no action (Hen/Michael, Bobby/Athena/May, Hen/Athena, Athena/May, Bobby/Michael) it’s probably the reason I had the impression of an slow and empty episode? It wasn’t empty after all but the impression is still there.

So this time all the emergency calls seemed to be about tools and machinery, maybe a little redundant but still effective. 

At **the bowling alley** , I LOVED Buck quoting the Terminator. But... what happened to his lack of pop culture? The movie came out in 1991 which is more or less Buck’s birth year so. Who sat him down to make him watch it? Did he discover the old movies when the recent one came out? I wanna know. I also want Eddie to stop mocking him, like with that “exoskeleton” comment. Yeah yeah I know it’s playful banter, but it’s not that fun and after a while it’s just mean. 

I liked how, to somehow balance that comment, Bobby congratulated both Buck and Garrett for doing a great job. 

Then **the nail in the heart** has a sweet father/daughter relationship, showing the importance of telling people that you love them and it’s an easy but nice opening to Chim and Maddie’s story.

We end with that damn **cliffhanger at the Call Center** , and now we know that **‘Greg’** wanted more than just steal Josh’s phone and wallet. Probably use his phone to either schedule the fake sit along, or highjack an already existing one? All I hope is that this asshole gets the punishment he deserves for hurting sweet Josh.

I just don’t like how Jamal’s presence is singled out twice because I don’t want him to die. I don’t want anyone to die to be honest, except the bad guys, but Sue, Linda and Jamal, and Terry. Do Not Touch.

Also, Maddie’s “I love you Howie”, was well done. Okay maybe a little easy but still nice, hoping it actually works and Chim understands the message.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this not-fic!  
> Like always, I welcome every kudo, emoji and comment ♥ Just keep in mind that I try to avoid spoilers for upcoming episodes as much as I can, if you decide to comment!


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